Roller skate construction with releasably, lockable and adjustable action screw

ABSTRACT

A roller skate having a wheel support assembly is disclosed. The wheel support assembly includes two compressive members carried on an action screw for importing flexibility or action to a skate wheel axle. The amount of action desired by the skater can be adjusted by turning the screw into or out of the skate sole plate. A hole in the sole plate communicates with a slot in the action screw, and a retaining pin secures the screw in any of a number of preselected action-providing positions.

EJnited States Patent 11 1 1 Jan. 28, 1975 Ware 1 1 ROLLER SKATECONSTRUCTION WITH RELEASABLY, LOCKABLE AND ADJUSTABLE ACTION SCREW [75]Inventor: Gordon K. Ware, St. Charles, 111. [73] Assignee: ChicagoRoller Skate Company,

Chicago, 111.

[22] Filed: Oct. 25, 1973 [211 App]. No.: 409,634

[52] US. Cl. 280/1118 [51] Int. Cl. A63c 17/02 [58] Field of Search28()/1l. 28, 11.2,1127; 151/5 [56] References Cited UNITED. STATESPATENTS 1,320,095 10/1919 .Robinson 151/5 2,719,723 10/1955 Ware280/1128 5/1956 Sternbcrgh 280/1128 11/1973 Machatsch 280/1128 PrimaryExaminer-Robcrt R. Song Assistant ExaminerDavid M.'Mitchcll Attorney,Agent, or Firn1-Olson, Trexler, Woltcrs. Bushnell & Fosscr Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT A roller skate having a wheel support assembly is dis- 1Claim, 5 Drawing Figures ROLLER SKATE CONSTRUCTION WITH RELEASABLY,LOCKABLE ANDADJUSTABLE ACTION SCREW BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to roller skates, and particularly concerns a wheelsupport assembly for roller skates of the rink type.

Modern roller skates of the rink variety usually includes a shoe for thewearer, a shoe sole plate. and four rollers or wheels which are mountedto the sole plate by one or more wheel support assemblies. One suchsuccessful skate structure having wheel support assemblies is disclosedin US. Pat. No. 2,719,723. These support assemblies permit a limiteddegree of movement or action between the wheel axles and the sole plateor skate frame structure. While a limited degree of flexibility oraction is necessary if the skater is to easily and gracefully makecertain motions or perform certain steps, it is desirable that thisflexibility or action be achieved without looseness between adjacentparts, or without imparting'even a feeling of looseness to the skaterthrough the support unit. The desired action contemplates a controlleddegree of motion between the skate wheel axles and the sole plate orskate frame as skating pressures are correspondingly increased in acontrolled manner. Experience has shown that different skaters preferdifferent amounts of action in their skates; that is, individualpreference or tastes differ among individual experienced skaters as tothe amount of action a skate should provide during skating movement.

It is also important, of course, that the wheel support assembly beconstructed without actual fragility or weakness in the parts. Moreover,undue bulk in the support parts is undesirable, both from an estheticand from a performance standpoint.

It is thus the general object of the present invention to provide animproved skate structure of the rink type having a rugged wheel supportunit or assembly wherein the amount of action can be easily adjusted toindividual tastes.

It is a more speciflc object of the invention to provide a roller skatewheel support structure wherein the degree of flexibility between theskate wheel axle and the skate frame can be easily adjusted to suitdiffering individual tastes.

It is another object to provide a skate support structure of the typedescribed wherein the flexibility can be adjusted without requiringcomplex special tools or a special knowledge or instruction on the partof the skate adjuster.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a wheelsupport structure which is compact in its design, and which utilizes norelatively fragile parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following detailed description and upon reference to thedrawings. Throughout the description, like reference numerals refer tolike parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational viewshowing in general a skate wheel support structure constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the front wheel supportstructure or truck shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view in partial section showing in furtherdetail the wheel support structure of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view more particularly illustratingthe parts forming the wheel support unit; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view illustrating in still further detailthe action screw utilized in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION While the invention will be described in connectionwith a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is notintended to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, itis intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents asmay be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring more particularly now to FIG. 1, the illustrated skatecomprises a unitary sole plate 10 to which a shoe structure or devicefor attaching the skate to a shoe of the usualvariety (not shown) may besecured. The sole plate 10 is provided at its opposite ends with a rearwheel support unit or assembly 11, a front wheel support unit orassembly 12, and a toe stop structure 13. This toe stop structure maytake the form of that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,180,65l. Since thefront and rear wheel support structure 11 and 12 are substantiallyidentical, the only front wheel support structure 12 will be describedin detail.

To accommodate attachment of the wheel support structure 12, the soleplate 10 is provided .with a front embossment l5 and a rear embossment16. The rear embossment 16 is tapped with female threads 17 to receivean action screw 20.

At a relatively lower end, this action screw 20 is provided with anenlarged head 21, and assembled immediately thereupon is a metallicwasher 22 having a re cess 23. This recess 23 is adapted to receive thelower face 24 of a cylindrical washer or cushion member 25 formed ofrubber or other resilient material. The upper face 26 of the cushionmember 25 is adapted, in turn, to seat within a recess 27 formed in aplatform portion 28 of a wheel truck strut arm 29. On the opposite orupper side of the platform 28, a second recess 30 is formed to receivethe lower face 31 of an upper cushion member 32, also formed of rubberor or similar resilient material. An upper face 33 formed on the uppercushion 32 is received in a recess 34 formed for that purpose is anupper flanged washer 35. As a primary device to retain these parts uponthe action screw 20, a jamb nut 36 is provided.

The strut arm 29 terminates, at an end opposite the platform 28, in agenerally spherical or dome-shaped nub 39 which, as seen particularly inFIG. 3, is adapted to be partially inserted into a cup-shaped bushing 40formed of rubber or other resilient material. The bushing 40, in turn,is received in a recess 41 formed for the purpose in the shoe plateembossment l5. Elongated bosses 44 and 45 are oriented upon the strutarm 29 to engage and support the roller skate wheel axle (not shown).

Having the foregoing assembly 12 in mind, its cooperation andinteraction with the skate shoe l0 and the associated skate wheels 47will be more easily understood. During the termination of jumpingmovements by the skater and other more or less directly impactivemotions upon the wheel support assembly 12 the cushion members 25 and 32undergo resiliently compressive action, thereby cushioning the impactshock imparted to the wheel assembly and skate. Motion of the wheels 47generally toward the sole plate can be accommodated by slight pivotalmotion of the strut arm 29 about the nub 39 and bearing 40 which act asa universal ball and socket joint. Torsional movement imparted to thewheel support assembly 12, which may occur during turning or pivotingmotions by the skate user, are also accommodated. During such pivotalmotions, one side only of each cushion member 25 and 32 may undergocompressive action, permitting the strut arm 29 and axle bosses 44 and45 to rotate so as to present, momentarily, one axle boss 44 and theassociated axle and wheel at a position relatively closer to the skatesole plate 10 than the other boss 45 and associated axle and wheel. I

These compression members 25 and 32 act as spring members, absorbingsuccessive equally increasing amounts of force with relativelydecreasing amounts of compressive displacement. For example, if thecompressive force imparted or asserted upon the compressive members 25and 32 is increased from 50 to 100 pounds, the compressive members willundergo a first predetermined compressive reduction in height. A furtherequal increase of compressive force from 100 to 150 pounds will producea second and further compressive reduction in member height, but thefurther reduction in height will be less than the first predeterminedreduction in compressive height.

It is these changes in compressive height of the cushion members 25 and32 which provide the desired flexibility or action in the skate, and itis this variation in compressive height or change in cushion memberdimension which is to be adjusted in accordance with the invention. Tothis end, therefore, the action screw is provided with a slot 50oriented diametrically across the shank 51 of the action screw andextending in depth over a plurality of convolutions 53 of the malethreads 54 formed upon the action screw 20. Formed in the sole plate 10for alignment with the actionscrew slot 50 is an eye or hole 56, whichis adapted to receive a cotter pin 57. To adjust the action of theskate, the skate user simply inserts a screwdriver or similar drivingtool into a driving slot 60 formed in the head 21 of the action screw 20and threadably advances the action screw 20 into the threaded receivingembossment 16, or alternatively withdraws the action screw 20 partiallytherefrom. Such advancement or retraction of the action screw 20 withcorresponding movement of the jamb nut 36 increases or decreases thestatic preload forces applied to the compression members and 32. whenthe screw slot 50 has been aligned with the sole plate hole 56, thecotter pin 57 is inserted and secured in the plate and screw.

As explained above, a relatively high preload upon the compressionmembers 25 and 32 caused by turning the action screw 20 a relativelygreat distance into the boss 16, will result in relatively smallcompressive movement of the compression members 25 and 32 during skatingmovements, and will provide the skater with a relatively firm feel oraction. Conversely, partially withdrawing the action screw 20 from thethreaded receiving embossment l6 and correspondingly loosening the jambnut 36 will lower the compressive preload imparted to the compressionmembers 25 and 32, will permit relatively greater compressive motion ofthese members during the same skating movements, and will provide arelatively softer feel or action for the skater.

Since all the described parts are retained in firm constantinterengagement by the interaction of the action screw 20, the jam nut36, and the embossment l6, undesirable play in the wheel mount 12 iseliminated. Loosening motion of the action screw 20 relative to theretaining embossment 16 which might be caused by vibration or otherfactors is prevented by the cotter pin 57 drawn through the sole plate10 and screw slot 50. Since the action screw 20 is prevented fromrotating the jam nut 36, too, is locked in place, and undesirableloosening and play in the support structure is prevented. By forming theslot 50 to a depth extending over several convolutions 53 of the actionscrew thread 54, a number of action screw positions relative to thesupportive embossment 16 are provided for selection by the using skater,and corresponding amounts of action can be alternatively selected by theskate user.

The invention is claimed as follows: 7

l. A roller skate comprising a wheel support unit including a normallyundisplaced axle and a sole plate having a downwardly extending threadedembossment and a single cotter pin hole oriented transversely to theembossment and a threaded and slotted action screw for retaining a wheelsupport assembly on the sole plate, the screw slot being orienteddiametrically across the end of the screw and extending in depth acrossa plurality of convolutions of screw thread, and cotter pin means forsecuring the action screw in any one of a limited, finite, integralnumber of positions upon the sole plate with the screw slot aligned withthe sole plate hole, the wheel support unit further including resilientcompressive action means mounted upon said slotted action screw, a jambnut threadably received upon said action screw between said sole plateand said compressive action means and turnable on said screw through aninfinite number of positions relative to said screw for impartingvarious preloads to said compressive members and primarily retainingsaid action screw and compressive members in said preloaded condition,said cotter pin means acting to secondarily retain said action screw,said compressive means and said jamb nut in any one of a limited,finite, integral number of respective retained positions therebyproviding the skate user with any one of a corresponding number of skatemotions relative to the sole plate when a given force is applied to theskate in a given direction.

1. A roller skate comprising a wheel support unit including a normallyundisplaced axle and a sole plate having a downwardly extending threadedembossment and a single cotter pin hole oriented transversely to theembossment and a threaded and slotted action screw for retaining a wheelsupport assembly on the sole plate, the screw slot being orienteddiametrically across the end of the screw and extending in depth acrossa plurality of convolutions of screw thread, and cotter pin means forsecuring the action screw in any one of a limited, finite, integralnumber of positions upon the sole plate with the screw slot aligned withthe sole plate hole, the wheel support unit further including resilientcompressive action means mounted upon said slotted action screw, a jambnut threadably received upon said action screw between said sole plateand said compressive action means and turnable on said screw through aninfinite number of positions relative to said screw for impartingvarious preloads to said compressive members and primarily retainingsaid action screw and compressive members in said preloaded condition,said cotter pin means acting to secondarily retain said action screw,said compressive means and said jamb nut in any one of a limited,finite, integral number of respective retained positions therebyproviding the skate user with any one of a corresponding number of skatemotions relative to the sole plate when a given force is applied to theskate in a given direction.